Starting Monday, parents of Vidor elementary school children can no longer walk their kids to a classroom.

"It may be an inconvenience. It may seem to be an unnecessary change and that we're going too far with this, but our kids' safety is number one to us," said Superintendent Jay Killgo. "The kids can't learn if the faculty staff are worried about their own safety."

The district's three elementary schools will now require parents, visitors and volunteers to sign in at the school office with picture identification during school hours, 7 a.m. to 2:45 p.m.

Killgo said principals reported a number of parents coming on campus before school starts, which means an official log isn't made of their entrance and exit.

Now, parents will have to check in at the front office after 7 a.m. and check out before they leave, he said.

Additionally, parents will be prohibited from walking their kids to their classroom.

Parents have a tendency to spend 5 to 15 minutes talking with the teacher, Kilgo said. It's not that teachers don't want to talk to parents, he added, but there are conference periods for that. Lingering parents delay the start of class, he said.

"We're trying to maximize every minute we have of instruction," Killgo said.

Other changes going into effect Monday include that parents can only enter the campuses through the front doors and parents are prohibited from taking students out of class after 2 p.m.

Killgo said administrators are aware the new changes may upset some parents, but he said the campuses must be vigilant about safety.

"It's a security issue it really is because you just don't need whoever wandering around campus," he said. "We don't want to upset parents but I think everybody will understand."